Hindu pilgrims bathe at ghats (stepped embankments leading to the edge of the river) along the water of the Ganges (Ganga) River just after sunrise. The pilgrims worship the morning sun and meditate in the Ganges. For Hindus, the Ganges is the most sacred river in India. Hindus believe that the Ganges purifies all those who bathe in her waters, cleansing them of all their sins. Photograph by Douglas ZImmerman